This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/europe/6982878.stm
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Pope Benedict arrives in Austria | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Pope Benedict XVI has arrived in Austria for a three-day visit, where he will join Jewish leaders to pay tribute to victims of the Nazi Holocaust. | |
| The pontiff, brought up in the German province of Bavaria, will also visit a Catholic shrine to the Virgin Mary. | The pontiff, brought up in the German province of Bavaria, will also visit a Catholic shrine to the Virgin Mary. |
| The Vatican says the Catholic leader will travel as a pilgrim, although correspondents say his trip will have more of the trappings of a state visit. | The Vatican says the Catholic leader will travel as a pilgrim, although correspondents say his trip will have more of the trappings of a state visit. |
| It is the Pope's seventh foreign trip in the past two years. | It is the Pope's seventh foreign trip in the past two years. |
| It comes after a week of high-profile meetings with leaders including Israeli President Shimon Peres and Syrian Vice President Faruq al-Shara. | It comes after a week of high-profile meetings with leaders including Israeli President Shimon Peres and Syrian Vice President Faruq al-Shara. |
| Deep roots | Deep roots |
| The pontiff is due to join Vienna's chief rabbi in silent tribute at a memorial to the 65,000 Viennese Jews who perished in Nazi death camps, and others who died in earlier purges. | The pontiff is due to join Vienna's chief rabbi in silent tribute at a memorial to the 65,000 Viennese Jews who perished in Nazi death camps, and others who died in earlier purges. |
| Austrian Archbishop Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn said the Pope's silence during the ceremony "will say more than words". | Austrian Archbishop Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn said the Pope's silence during the ceremony "will say more than words". |
| The BBC's David Willey, in Rome, says the Church has deep roots in Austria, but it is suffering from a growing number of defections. | The BBC's David Willey, in Rome, says the Church has deep roots in Austria, but it is suffering from a growing number of defections. |
| Almost one third of Austrian Catholics have left the Church since the late Pope John Paul II visited Austria in 1983, he says. | Almost one third of Austrian Catholics have left the Church since the late Pope John Paul II visited Austria in 1983, he says. |
| Cardinal Schoenborn said a key goal of the Pope's visit was to encourage faith "in a time when many are saying that faith has no meaning and is unreasonable". | Cardinal Schoenborn said a key goal of the Pope's visit was to encourage faith "in a time when many are saying that faith has no meaning and is unreasonable". |
| The Austrian Catholic Church has been shaken by widely-reported sex scandals involving two high-ranking prelates in recent years. | The Austrian Catholic Church has been shaken by widely-reported sex scandals involving two high-ranking prelates in recent years. |